Lonely Planet Lonely Planet's Where To Go When: The Ultimate Trip Planner for Every Month of the Year

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An ideal day trip from Colombo, the train departs the city’s Fort Railway Station and pulls into the heritage town of Kandy in under four hours. As the train curves and winds around mountains to connect rural towns, wide windows frame the view of deep ravines and hillsides densely covered in emerald-green tea bushes.

Why now? Discover a winter wonderland of steaming hot springs, traditional villages and snow sports. Handy decision-making flowchartsto help you choose your next exciting getaway based on your travel passions and the activities that appeal to you the most From the Jaffna Fort to the architecturally marvelous Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, a Hindu temple adorned with brasswork and staggering murals, Jaffna is a relaxed change from the rest of the country. Here you can immerse yourself in the culture and heritage of Sri Lanka’s largest ethnic minority: the Tamil people. When the climate turns cold in the Northern Hemisphere, Budapest’s hot springs and thermal baths are a great way to escape the chill and give yourself some much needed TLC in one fell swoop. AnguillaPlanning tip: Naples becomes less chaotic from the water. Taking the ferry isn’t only an option if you’re going to islands like Ischia and Procida – you can also take a boat from the city to Sorrento, Positano and the Amalfi Coast. 10. Venice

Why now? Head to the bodegas of Mendoza, Argentina for a beefy malbec against incredible landscapes.

Spark your curiosity with decision-making flowcharts to inspire your next unforgettable city break, tropical beach vacation, wildlife encounter and more - all organised by month with amazing weekend escapes, one and two week experiences. They look like hobbit houses – small conical-roofed cottages, often stitched together to form a bigger home but always fairytale pretty, whatever the size. Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, is famous for its trulli, but you won’t find them all over the region. The city of Como itself is a hotbed of arresting architecture, from the Gothic cathedral to Palazzo Terragni – built by the Fascists as their party headquarters, it’s a classic example of Italian 1930s Rationalism and a striking reminder of the atrocities committed by the regime.

Known for its 200-hectare (494-acre) bird reserve, Kumana National Park is a birder’s dream, home to throngs of vibrant kingfishers and jungle fowl alongside 255 recorded species of endemic and migrating birds, all of which find sanctuary in the park's mangrove swamps and lagoons. Pompeii, pizza and a whole lot of panache – Naples is a city like no other. Layered like lasagna, each strip of history on top of the last, this is a place where (underground) you can walk along ancient Greek and Roman roads, while at street level there are sumptuous churches, baroque palaces and Maradona – Maradona everywhere. Often considered the best time to visit, spring offers the ideal mix of good climate and bearable tourism flows. Nature blooms as the snow melts in the mountains and the rolling hills of the central Italian countryside come to life after the chilly winter.Why now? Mix romance with relaxation – and perhaps a chocolate chaser – in this cooler, drier month. Known to the Greeks as the “column that holds up the sky,” Mt Etna is not only Europe's largest volcano, it's one of the world's most active. The ancients believed the giant Tifone (Typhoon) lived in its crater and lit the sky with spectacular pyrotechnics; today they simply call it idda, or “her.” Liguria’s remote Cinque Terre area is coastal Italy at its most spectacular. Five seaside villages wedged between cliffs, encircled by a national park and connected by clifftop footpaths, this is a place where humanity has lived in symbiosis with nature for thousands of years. People have chiseled terraces into the steep cliffs and grown wine here since Roman times; until the 20th century, the locals got about by sea or footpath. No Sri Lanka itinerary is complete without Colombo, the country’s culturally diverse hub. (But not its capital – that’s actually Sri Jayawardenepura-Kotte!) An ideal first taste of Sri Lanka, with tuk-tuks, cars and buses rushing through busy lanes, Colombo is renowned for its landmark buildings around the cosmopolitan Fort district, including the terracotta-roofed Dutch Hospital. Planning tip: There’s an overwhelming amount to see here, and with limited public transport in the city center, your choice of hotel can be crucial. Map out the sights you’re most interested in before you book – if you want to be at the Vatican at opening time, for example, don't stay near the Colosseum. 2. Tuscany

Why now? To see millions of monarch butterflies take flight in the Michoacán Province’s Oyamel fir forests. Outside the city, Vesuvius looms over the time capsules of Pompeii and Herculaneum, while in town, living in the shadow of a volcano gives life a sense of urgency. All that makes for a place like nowhere else. Día de los Muertos – the Day of the Dead – is celebrated over three nights, from October 31 to November 2. According to Mexican tradition, it’s when the deceased may briefly cross into the world of the living. Families construct graveside altars, adorned with photos, candles, marigolds and sweets; skull masks are worn, marching bands play, and everyone feasts. While celebrations might be experienced all over Mexico, the state of Oaxaca – known for its strong Indigenous culture, unique cuisine and flourishing arts and crafts – is an excellent choice. Oaxaca City is a riot of artisan workshops, baroque plazas, and busy markets (where you can buy sugar skulls and pan de muerto, bread of the dead); the Museum of Oaxacan Cultures is also worth a look. Then explore further afield: visit the weaving town of Teotitlán, the historic Tlacolula market and Soledad Etla’s flamboyant Comparsa Parade. By night, head to the region’s many cemeteries for the festivities. Valletta, MaltaRome should definitely be the centerpiece of your trip if you’re going to Italy for the first time, but there's simply too much to see in one visit, from the Pantheon and the Colosseum to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and countless works by Caravaggio. So do as countless others have done before you: toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain and promise to return. Planning tip: Visitors are required to cover their arms, legs and shoulders when visiting the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. The Kandy-to-Colombo train is an alternative way to experience Sri Lanka’s railway journeys, as popular towns such as Ella are 10 hours away from Colombo. 10. Kalpitiya Join thousands of pilgrims, dressed in white, in the early hours of the morning to hike slowly and quietly to the little temple at the top. Humble teahouses, resting places and shrines dot the landscape as you ascend. Pilgrims greet each other through blessings for a good climb. The hike to the top takes three to four hours, depending on the trail you choose. Aim to summit at dawn to catch the first rays of the sun wrapping around the mountain. The villages themselves are gorgeous, but spare some time for a hike along the Sentiero Azzurro, the most popular of the paths connecting them. Cinque Terre may be the best known, but Liguria’s coastline is one showstopper coastal village after another – additional highlights include Portofino, Portovenere and Santa Margherita Ligure.